Mainebass1984

Fishing has been good the past couple days. All the rain last week has brought water levels up and cooled off the lakes. Fri water temp was 57 on the lake I was at and 56 the next day on another body of water. Friday was a bit chilly in the rain. Some better fish have been biting 2 5s, 1 4, and 9 3s amongst the 29 largemouth ive got the past couple days. Moving baits have been working well. Jig has been good as well. Shallow bite seems to be on. Another couple weeks and they will be deep again. Time to get out and fish !

All good choices. Id add a weightless worm, a silver buddy and a Huddleston 68. A chatterbait can be deadly too. Once you find out where you are going let us know.

Where the baitfish are depends on water temperature and weather from my experience. It also varies species by species. Smelt could be deeper around isolated structure in 15-40 ft of water. Yellow perch could be in 8-12 feet roaming. There may also be golden and common shiners much shallow around the last remaining green weeds. I like to break down the "fall" period into the different periods, early, mid and, late fall. Early fall the water is usually still very warm and stratified in most bodies of water and a lot of fish still can be founder deeper. Mid fall the water temperatures have been consistently dropping and are now more moderate. With the moderate temperatures fish are able to use all available habitat from 25 ft to 2 ft. It can be frustrating but once you find them they are usually bunched up. What I call late fall most people would probably call early winter. Fall turnover has occurred. Water temperatures have cooled considerably. Fish have moved out from shore to isolated off shore structure and cover. Some of the biggest fish in any lake can be caught at this time. Water temperature, weather, and prey species will dictate where the bass will go. Not all the bass will be following the same pattern. Each day it could be different. The only way to figure out a pattern is to put in some time out on the water. A fish finder will help immensely in your search. Prey fish do school up this time of year. Yellow perch tend to roam around a lot in vast schools. On a calm day you can see the schools dimpling the surface as they move around. Shiners are schooled up as well and can be shallow around weeds and brushy cover. Smelt will be schooled up as well and tend to be schooled up year round.

If it moves they will try to eat, birds, snakes, fish, mammals, etc. It is always cool to actually find the evidence of what we would perceive as an unusual meal. It is probably more common then we realize.

I love fishing blade baits from around Mid October to Ice up. The only blade bait I use is a silver buddy. It is an outstanding bait. I prefer to fish them around off shore structure that is mostly gravel and rock that is holding baitfish. Most of the time I am fishing it near schools of small young of the year smelt catching bug smallmouth and largemouth. This weekend might be the first time I will cast it this fall if the conditions are appropriate.

I need to buy more big baits. I don't have nearly enough.

1/2 ounce Jig Early April 4 lbs 1 oz

It appears that the fish pictured have bacterial infections most likely due to stress that can be attributed to a variety of factors, low water, very warm water, drought, high fishing pressure, poor water quality. A variety of diseases, viruses and infections can cause the hemorrhaging that you are seeing. The only sure way to know is to get a sample from a live fish to a fish pathologist. I think that is most likely Aeromonas or Strep.

Ofcourse it isn't. I don't know my rodents very well at all. I showed the picture to a friend at work and he said it was most likely an American water shrew. Pretty cool that bass still wanted to eat even with that sticking out of its throat.

A 2.5 pounder gobbled down this shrew. Circumstances unknown.

The fishing this past September was pretty good. The water was as low as I had ever seen it. Summer seemed to hang on late into the month. At the beginning of the month the water temperature was 83 degrees and has already cooled of to 67 degrees. It certainly was a month of change. Big fish were caught on a variety of baits. Overall it was a great month. A lot of new spots learned due to the low water. My mom got a new personal best. My friend Brandon got a personal best. My buddy Shane got his biggest while fishing from my boat. Introduced a couple people to bass fishing. Caught a few big fish along the way. Moving baits began working real well the last end of the month. That should continue. Onto October ! The year isn't over yet ! Onto October ! Big fish are biting right now.

I fish a lot of different lakes and ponds. A lot of those lakes are tournament pressured and some of the smaller ponds seldom see a fisherman. I do not like to give out specific information. I am very guarded about specific information. If I believe you are a trustworthy fisherman then I may tell you where and give out some information that will help you catch fish. I expect the same in return. Their are far to many fisherman that want all the information you will give them but wont tell you anything in return. I do not mind giving out information. I enjoy seeing people catch fish and helping them do so. That being said if I take you in my boat and take you to one of my best unobvious spots I expect you to tell no one. Most of my best spots are unobvious and tend to be a specific spot on a spot. Some of those specific spots have taken years and years, countless hours to find. You could probably go back to that same point I took you to but if you're not fishing that one specific spot you're not going to catch fish. With all that time and effort I do not think it is right, moral, honorable, or respectful to go and give out that spot I put so much time and effort into. I know that individuals on this site have figured out what bodies of water I fish from my photos. That's fine, good luck finding the specific spots I like to fish. Just because any individual knows what lake you are fishing doesn't mean they will fish it better than you, or find your spots. It is pretty sad in my mind that fisherman cant find their own fish, that they have to try and find a way to figure out your spot. If you are kind enough to take me in your boat you can expect the same amount of respect and courtesy. I will not give away another fisherman's spot. I understand exactly what goes into finding good productive spots. When I take someone fishing for the first time I usually tell them half jokingly, " Don't tell anyone about this spot. If you do I will sink your boat. "

Without knowing the water temperature or what type of lake your fishing I would suggest to follow the primary forage base and the bass wont be far behind. A lot of the places I like to fish yellow perch consists a huge part of the forage base. Look for an isolated piece of structure offshore that has yellow perch near it. Big bass wont be far behind. Perfect time to through a swimbait. You may not get many bites but the ones you do get most likely would be larger than what you have listed as your personal best. If your lake has alewives then silver buddies worked along steep drop offs or around isolated rock piles works very well. The same can be said if there are rainbow smelt present. Drop shotting minnow styled baits can be effective as well. Golden and common shiners will be shallow until the water temps drop below 50 degrees. A chatterbait or spinnerbait worked through the last remaining green weeds at a relatively fast speed can work very well. This time of year I have great luck with moving baits but you can never underestimate the jig. Find the forage in your lake and the bass wont be far behind.

Next season ? Im stll focused on the remainder of this season. Probably about another 6 weeks of fishing left. The water will be chilly, maybe even some snowflakes flying, but its a great time to catch some of the biggest bass of the year. Every year before I hang it up for the season I break through ice to get to open water areas of the lakes I like to fish. Sounds crazy but the fish at that time haven't seen a lure in a long time and are more then willing to hit. In my experience you don't catch big numbers of fish but the average size goes way way up.

Plenty of places around Burlington to launch your kayak and catch bass. I moved to VT about 4 years ago. Just keep on fishing ponds until you find one you like. There are plenty of hidden gems and lunkers to be caught.

Don't forget about that 7-7 you got out of my boat a week or so ago.

Some of the biggest bass are biting right now. Get out there and fish guys !

Going on vacation for the next 11 days. I am going to be starting out with back to back 12-13 hour days on the water. I plan on fishing everyday if possible. Hopefully I can catch a couple bass. Would love to see one over 8 but that may be pushing it. Going to bring a bunch of friends and family fishing. Some good times ahead this week. Bass beware.

+2

You'll never know what is was. Might as well keep on fishing as if it was an 8 lb bass.

The fall bite has begun up here in the northeast. The leaves are changing color. The nights are longer. Water temps have begun to drop and have already dropped 5 degrees from there summertime highs. Typically here fish are deep in the early fall then move shallow as the water cools. Once early winter sets in they are deep again. The more you fish the more you will be able to figure out. A fishing journal helps in the long run. I can look back in my journal and fish the same spots on the same lakes and do very well. Regional Patterns. Seasonal Patterns. Weather patterns. Patterns within patterns. There is great fishing in the fall if you can figure them out.

Fall is my favorite time to bass fish. It certainly can be better then the spring. I have caught more 8 lbers in the fall then the spring. Isolate off shore structure/cover is great in the fall. Some of the biggest bass in the lake your fishing will be relating to offshore cover/structure. My favorites for early fall are squarebills, jigs, and a variety of soft plastics. Later in the fall a drop shot, silver buddy, and jig are my top three.

Under the conditions mentioned I would target fish in 15-25 ft perhaps even a little deeper. I would drop shot smaller profile baits. A dream shot works amazing in the conditions you mentioned. I prefer to dropshot with 8 lb flouro but sometimes I use 6 lb. Gulp minnows and leeches are great drop shot baits too.

4 lb 13 oz Smallie 7 lb 13 oz Largemouth Both from Northern New England